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SPACE: Review - Revell 1/48 Apollo Lunar Spacecraft
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AMP...@aol.com
Jan 13, 2012, 7:01:27 PM1/13/12
to
Kit Review: Revell 1/48th scale Kit No. 85-5090: Apollo Lunar
Spacecraft - Buzz Aldrin Rocket Hero Edition; 171 parts (170 in white
styrene, 1 clear acetate); retail price US$59.95
Advantages: re-release of one of the inspiring Revell kits of the
1960s; provides for assembly and disassembly of the entire component
to show how the Moon landings took place
Disadvantages: based on prototypes of the actual Apollo vehicles; a
Revell kit of the 1960s
Rating: Recommended
Recommendation: for all fans of the US Space Program
Back in the 1960s many of us who were inspired by John F. Kennedy and
his focus on putting a man on the Moon before the end of the decade
were drawn to the spacecraft to be used. And at that time Revell was
the clear leader in this field with its excellent H-18xx series of
spacecraft and missile kits. Like many other teenagers I picked up
each one as it was released.
During the summer between my freshman and sophomore college years,
Revell released a series of Apollo kits in varying scales. Their top
of the line ones were the gigantic 1/96 Saturn V with Apollo mission
and the 1/48 Apollo Lunar Spacecraft kits. I didn’t have the room for
the big missile but did have a place for the entire nose section and
eagerly plunked down my $4.98 for one after work that summer.
The kit originally came with the great Revell directions of the
period which called out each and every part and told the modeler what
he was assembling, plus it came with a neat little booklet about the
Apollo program. The kit provided the command module with three seated
astronauts, the escape tower, the service module with a section that
opened to show its interior, the complete Lunar Excursion Module (LEM)
that folded up to fit inside the Saturn V connector section, and even
a Moon base with two astronauts and the fixed American flag that they
would plant on the Moon. Alas, while I was in Vietnam it “disappeared”
from my bedroom in one of those purges parents occasionally carry
out.
Of all the Revell kits from the 1960s that I built three stand head
and shoulders above the rest for the fact they really caught my
imagination and interest. One was the Atomic Power Plant – I built two
over the years – and another was the “Coffee Can” Space Station
(three). But number three was the Apollo Lunar Spacecraft kit.
While the first two seem to have gone to kit collector heaven and
cost a small fortune if they can be found – and according to Revell-
Monogram will never see the light of day again as their molds were
damaged or lost – they have happily re-released the Apollo as part of
their “Buzz Aldrin Rocket Hero” series. (Note that the latter term is
copyrighted and copyright holder is held as “StarBuzz LLC” – hmmm...)
But the new version is molded in China (!) and as is par for the
course now costs 12 times its original price (which still beats kit
collector prices).
The kit is as complete as I remember it, but as many sci-fi and space
fans have noted it IS only of the mockup of the system and needs a lot
of reworking and detailing if you want to turn it into a mission
vehicle. As nobody had finalized the interior of the command module at
the time Revell made the kit, it is populated with decals based on the
mockups of the interior - at least it was apparently totally faithful
to the painted and decaled mockup it was based on! These are covered
by six big decals (grey with black and white icons for the
instruments) for the interior.
The saddest thing is that - as with many other new Revell-Monogram
releases – somebody redid the directions in the inane “point and
stick” format. The good news is that they did (showing them smarter
than all of the other “point and stick” dimbulbs) provide a list from
the original directions of what each component actually represents.
This makes it somewhat easier to sort out the build options, as at
least the modeler understands what the parts may do.
For example, parts 3 and 4 are the canards for the emergency escape
tower that deflect the Apollo capsule away from the Saturn V if
activated. Also when the directions use their silly “no cement” icon
at least you can see why that part is to be left free (e.g. the base
of the escape tower is left loose so the access tunnel locking collar
(29) will be able to mate with the LEM.
For those who saw “Apollo 13" you also get to see where the infamous
oxygen tanks (37-38) were that terminated that mission and nearly
terminated the astronauts on the mission.
Cleanup will take some time as the kit provides every single vernier
control rocket motor bell and all of them seem to have heavy sprue
attachment points. There are 16 on the Service Module and 16 more on
the Ascent Module of the LEM.
As this was a kit of the 1960s everything is supposed to work, so
some parts are a bit overscale so they can reliably operate once
installed. The entire landing mechanism of the LEM folds up to fit in
the Saturn V section and thus are rather sturdy. As many fans have
noted, as this was a mockup it is also missing nearly all the detail
the actual LEM sections had fitted to them, starting with the gold
foil insulation shroud. A separate bridge (89-90) and descent ladder
(86) are provided for the LEM but the directions note they are not to
be cemented in place if you want the LEM landing gear to operate.
The astronaut figures are a bit dated and have broad comic-book style
faces, but as they have no visors they will need to be filled in with
a clear substance or filled and painted with gold reflective paint.
The directions give a limited amount of “monkey-see-monkey-do”
coverage of how the entire system operated, which is a shame as any
good science teacher or kid from the ‘60s can show how the entire
mission was run from start to finish.
If the modeler goes into this project with the view that it is a
“child of the ‘60s” and not a state-of-the-art kit the result will be
an enjoyable project and a return to the days when man could achieve
anything. Diehard space modelers may wish to get a more modern LEM
such as the ones from Monogram proper or DML and use those as a basis
for a proper mission craft.
Overall, it’s a big thrill for me to see one of my three favorite
Revell kits of all time return to the market. Now for numbers one and
two...
Cookie Sewell
Spacecraft - Buzz Aldrin Rocket Hero Edition; 171 parts (170 in white
styrene, 1 clear acetate); retail price US$59.95
Advantages: re-release of one of the inspiring Revell kits of the
1960s; provides for assembly and disassembly of the entire component
to show how the Moon landings took place
Disadvantages: based on prototypes of the actual Apollo vehicles; a
Revell kit of the 1960s
Rating: Recommended
Recommendation: for all fans of the US Space Program
Back in the 1960s many of us who were inspired by John F. Kennedy and
his focus on putting a man on the Moon before the end of the decade
were drawn to the spacecraft to be used. And at that time Revell was
the clear leader in this field with its excellent H-18xx series of
spacecraft and missile kits. Like many other teenagers I picked up
each one as it was released.
During the summer between my freshman and sophomore college years,
Revell released a series of Apollo kits in varying scales. Their top
of the line ones were the gigantic 1/96 Saturn V with Apollo mission
and the 1/48 Apollo Lunar Spacecraft kits. I didn’t have the room for
the big missile but did have a place for the entire nose section and
eagerly plunked down my $4.98 for one after work that summer.
The kit originally came with the great Revell directions of the
period which called out each and every part and told the modeler what
he was assembling, plus it came with a neat little booklet about the
Apollo program. The kit provided the command module with three seated
astronauts, the escape tower, the service module with a section that
opened to show its interior, the complete Lunar Excursion Module (LEM)
that folded up to fit inside the Saturn V connector section, and even
a Moon base with two astronauts and the fixed American flag that they
would plant on the Moon. Alas, while I was in Vietnam it “disappeared”
from my bedroom in one of those purges parents occasionally carry
out.
Of all the Revell kits from the 1960s that I built three stand head
and shoulders above the rest for the fact they really caught my
imagination and interest. One was the Atomic Power Plant – I built two
over the years – and another was the “Coffee Can” Space Station
(three). But number three was the Apollo Lunar Spacecraft kit.
While the first two seem to have gone to kit collector heaven and
cost a small fortune if they can be found – and according to Revell-
Monogram will never see the light of day again as their molds were
damaged or lost – they have happily re-released the Apollo as part of
their “Buzz Aldrin Rocket Hero” series. (Note that the latter term is
copyrighted and copyright holder is held as “StarBuzz LLC” – hmmm...)
But the new version is molded in China (!) and as is par for the
course now costs 12 times its original price (which still beats kit
collector prices).
The kit is as complete as I remember it, but as many sci-fi and space
fans have noted it IS only of the mockup of the system and needs a lot
of reworking and detailing if you want to turn it into a mission
vehicle. As nobody had finalized the interior of the command module at
the time Revell made the kit, it is populated with decals based on the
mockups of the interior - at least it was apparently totally faithful
to the painted and decaled mockup it was based on! These are covered
by six big decals (grey with black and white icons for the
instruments) for the interior.
The saddest thing is that - as with many other new Revell-Monogram
releases – somebody redid the directions in the inane “point and
stick” format. The good news is that they did (showing them smarter
than all of the other “point and stick” dimbulbs) provide a list from
the original directions of what each component actually represents.
This makes it somewhat easier to sort out the build options, as at
least the modeler understands what the parts may do.
For example, parts 3 and 4 are the canards for the emergency escape
tower that deflect the Apollo capsule away from the Saturn V if
activated. Also when the directions use their silly “no cement” icon
at least you can see why that part is to be left free (e.g. the base
of the escape tower is left loose so the access tunnel locking collar
(29) will be able to mate with the LEM.
For those who saw “Apollo 13" you also get to see where the infamous
oxygen tanks (37-38) were that terminated that mission and nearly
terminated the astronauts on the mission.
Cleanup will take some time as the kit provides every single vernier
control rocket motor bell and all of them seem to have heavy sprue
attachment points. There are 16 on the Service Module and 16 more on
the Ascent Module of the LEM.
As this was a kit of the 1960s everything is supposed to work, so
some parts are a bit overscale so they can reliably operate once
installed. The entire landing mechanism of the LEM folds up to fit in
the Saturn V section and thus are rather sturdy. As many fans have
noted, as this was a mockup it is also missing nearly all the detail
the actual LEM sections had fitted to them, starting with the gold
foil insulation shroud. A separate bridge (89-90) and descent ladder
(86) are provided for the LEM but the directions note they are not to
be cemented in place if you want the LEM landing gear to operate.
The astronaut figures are a bit dated and have broad comic-book style
faces, but as they have no visors they will need to be filled in with
a clear substance or filled and painted with gold reflective paint.
The directions give a limited amount of “monkey-see-monkey-do”
coverage of how the entire system operated, which is a shame as any
good science teacher or kid from the ‘60s can show how the entire
mission was run from start to finish.
If the modeler goes into this project with the view that it is a
“child of the ‘60s” and not a state-of-the-art kit the result will be
an enjoyable project and a return to the days when man could achieve
anything. Diehard space modelers may wish to get a more modern LEM
such as the ones from Monogram proper or DML and use those as a basis
for a proper mission craft.
Overall, it’s a big thrill for me to see one of my three favorite
Revell kits of all time return to the market. Now for numbers one and
two...
Cookie Sewell
Gray Guest
Jan 13, 2012, 10:40:37 PM1/13/12
to
AMP...@aol.com wrote in news:89cb26e9-109e-4f9e-8849-aaefb0f174a3
@a11g2000vbz.googlegroups.com:
I'm listening to "Hush" by Deep Purple right now. Fits right in.
--
Words of wisdom
What does not kill you... probably didn't cause enough tissue damage.
@a11g2000vbz.googlegroups.com:
--
Words of wisdom
What does not kill you... probably didn't cause enough tissue damage.
Gray Guest
Jan 14, 2012, 12:26:54 AM1/14/12
to
Gray Guest <No_email...@wahoo.com> wrote in
news:Xns9FD9E6B053C2CWe...@88.198.244.100:
Hmm, better yet, Space Trucking.
news:Xns9FD9E6B053C2CWe...@88.198.244.100:
AMP...@aol.com
Jan 14, 2012, 12:38:22 PM1/14/12
to
Sewell
>
> > I'm listening to "Hush" by Deep Purple right now. Fits right in.
>
> Hmm, better yet, Space Trucking.
>
> --
> Words of wisdom
>
> What does not kill you... probably didn't cause enough tissue damage.- Hide quoted text -
>
> > I'm listening to "Hush" by Deep Purple right now. Fits right in.
>
> Hmm, better yet, Space Trucking.
>
> --
> Words of wisdom
>
>
> - Show quoted text -
Works for me!
Cookie Sewell
som...@some.domain
Jan 17, 2012, 6:52:57 PM1/17/12
to
>>
>> I'm listening to "Hush" by Deep Purple right now. Fits right in.
>>
>
>Hmm, better yet, Space Trucking.
>
and i feel fine, the capsule is turning around....
it gives ya shivers, i tells ya!
Rufus
Jan 17, 2012, 9:07:22 PM1/17/12
to
employment manual for the AK-47 and it's ammunition variants being read
over a back-beat. I heard it once, have never head it again, can't get
my hands on it.
..."and destroying personnel"...makes an impression.
--
- Rufus
som...@some.domain
Jan 17, 2012, 10:02:32 PM1/17/12
to
In article <fuGdnWAkbcXGtIvS...@mchsi.com>, Rufus <n...@home.com> wrote:
>som...@some.domain wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I'm listening to "Hush" by Deep Purple right now. Fits right in.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Hmm, better yet, Space Trucking.
>>>
>> try zero g by the willsden dodgers. samples glen's famous line about zero g
>> and i feel fine, the capsule is turning around....
>> it gives ya shivers, i tells ya!
>
>....there's another one out there I'm after - it's the operation and
>som...@some.domain wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I'm listening to "Hush" by Deep Purple right now. Fits right in.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Hmm, better yet, Space Trucking.
>>>
>> try zero g by the willsden dodgers. samples glen's famous line about zero g
>> and i feel fine, the capsule is turning around....
>> it gives ya shivers, i tells ya!
>
>employment manual for the AK-47 and it's ammunition variants being read
>over a back-beat. I heard it once, have never head it again, can't get
>my hands on it.
>
>...."and destroying personnel"...makes an impression.
>over a back-beat. I heard it once, have never head it again, can't get
>my hands on it.
>
>
throbbing gristle does a song called weapons training. it covers a
variety of weapons with the sound of each after the announcer tells you what
it is. it has a very hard back beat that builds to a strong and dynamic end.
does that sound like what you remember or was it for sure just about an ak?
skinny puppy has a seg in the deep down trauma hound cycle, so maybe that?
if you can get me a bit more, i'm sure i have it in the pile.
the trouble is that there are a lot of training manual monologues over good
industrial music. after tg did it first, like so much of their wonderful
breakthrough work, everyone had to have a military copycat.
let me know becuase i could happily post it for you.
Rufus
Jan 18, 2012, 9:54:53 AM1/18/12
to
I'm thinking of is specifically the AK-47 manual(s) and just that.
Didn't catch the title or the artist...been scratching my head over this
one for years...and years...
--
- Rufus
som...@some.domain
Jan 18, 2012, 10:51:49 AM1/18/12
to
i will ask the musically knowledgeable folks for help.
rwalker
Feb 12, 2012, 4:43:23 AM2/12/12
to
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